CHAPTER 124: Regroup

Phoenix fire lit up the starship. Michael Evans-Verres deposited the stunned Harry Potter there, wearing his cloak but with the hood off so that only his head could be seen, and left immediately. Minerva quickly cast Innervate to wake him up again. Teleport spam became Michael very much.

Hermoine spoke first, but let's just say that her words of "I'm glad that you are still among the living!" were not the best chosen. On the other hand, Harry's first words of "Where are we?" were not well reasoned either.

At that moment, there was more fire, and Michael returned with Alastor Moody.

Harry was thinking ahead and manage to out-paranoia Mad-Eye for once. He spoke softly, but with urgency behind it: "Let's get this thing up to high orbit before the Dark Lord figures out where we've gone. Then we figure out what to do. Not that I see the Dark Lord operating this even if he does find it."

Michal answered, "Harry, I'm ever so glad to have you back. I see that you were indeed in trouble beyond reckoning, and having seen how it was all laid out I can say you were right to send us away earlier. We have won through this far by wild chance and sacrificed much to do so. But the power to defeat the Dark Lord is not within me, though I blew his wand hand off."

"Father, Mr. Moody. He has the stone. He is learning science. We are in deeper trouble than you seem to know. He'll have that hand back before long, not that he needs it."

Alastor Moody cut in "What is the Philosopher's stone that it is such a great peril, and how shall he have his hand back?"

"Call it rather the stone of permanency. It sets transfigurations. Wait a minute? Where did you get this starship? It looks like you transfigured it but that can't be right." If you don't know what the stone does, you obviusly coudn't have used it for its intended purpose.

"I did, and you can thank your father for the secret. But I don't understand even now how a single word from you was enough for your father to draw a warp core and work out what elements go into it. He says it comes from a telly show, whatever that is."

"The Dark Lord cast a spell to return his spirit to his newly resurrected body. The words of that spell were Fal. Tor. Pan. That's straight up Vulcan right out of the movie. It doesn't even sound like any human language that ever existed."

Minerva spoke "Just what are we talking about here? I can't follow this one at all."

Michael Evans-Verres laughed full of mirth. "Three little words. That's all it took for the Dark Lord to plant the seed of his own undoing. The construction of magic defeats me altogether, but one of these must be true: either Vulcan exists for real or you can transfigure things that don't exist so long as you believe they do."

"Somehow Harry Potter has to have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. We have a prophesy and prophesy cannot be broken no matter what else comes. Yet this doesn't quite seem to fit. To relay the message of the contents of a resurrection spell we could have looked up in the library is hardly the power to vanquish."

"Two words," Moody spoke, "and I wasn't sure what they even meant. What did you even hope for when you expressed your surprise at Vulcan?"

"Sheer incredulity. I was so surprised at the language being used for spellcasting that I could not but pass it on. I had nothing to hope for really but you might yet oppose the Dark Lord after me."

Hermoine spoke next. "I have your pouch, with most of the stuff still in it. I'm pretty sure the only reason there's no rule against dynamite on school grounds is thought of it yet. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it was a bad idea to transfigure explosives because you aren't supposed to transfigure things to be burned. Same for the acetylene torch. I am so glad to have you back. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to risk my neck again. I'm the one who has to defeat the Dark Lord. We already know that."

"Son," Mr. Evans-Verres said, "for the next three days you're not going anywhere near the Dark Lord. We know we cannot defeat him. We traveled back in time to pick you up."

"Where did you get a time machine already?" Of course Harry Potter knows it can't be a time turner. Those don't reach back that far.

"Cosmic black hole. Navigation was a real pain though."

Hermoine spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask for some time. What does it mean horcrux?"

Alastor Moody made a face, then answered "The Dark Lord, as have some others before him, has made a horcrux that will enable him to cheat death in a fashion, and will enable his shade to take over a body of a weak spirit. We need to find his horcrux and destroy it when we finally do get him."

Harry Potter said "He has more than a hundred horcruxes including the Pioneer space probe and the resurrection stone."

Minerva McGonagall and Alastor Moody both cringed.

Mr. Evans-Verres spoke again. "The Dark Lord's next move is to attack the ministry, and that will happen in a few hours. We cannot win, but we can assist in the evacuation or thin down the ranks of death eaters, or both. I have in mind to arrive just in time to make a little mayhem."

Alastor Moody produced a letter, gave it to Harry Potter, and said, "Dumbledore left this letter for you in my keeping."

Before long Harry spoke again. "Dumbledore left me battle instructions mostly, but they're all worthless now. The Ministry was take by force, Hogwarts is lost, and the Elder Wand believes it is my father's to wield, but sadly he can't work magic at all. Draco and I tested this. Magic is a simply-inherited recessive trait."

"Hmm, this gives me an idea. Time to use truth to stir up confusion. Expecto Patronum. Tell Draco Malfoy 'I am about to tell your father the truth we discovered about blood.'"

Harry didn't even wait for a reply. "Expecto Patronum. Tell Lucius Malfoy 'Magic is a recessive trait. There is no such thing as a mudblood. A wizard is defined as a person who carries two copies of the Atlantis marker. This may be tested by asking enough paintings about the number of children born to a family of squibs and how many of them were wizards or witches. Lord Voldermort's true name is Tom Riddle and he himself is muggle-born. Look and see that my words are true."

The answer came back swiftly. "What manner of madness is this?"

Both Alastor Moody and Michael Evans-Verres were staring at him.